On this episode of the Ramen Saga, we’ll be visiting Karai Ramen in beautiful Jacksonville, Florida! This Food Conversation brought us a little bit of change compared to the other times we’ve gotten together. Mohan unfortunately couldn’t make it to Karai Ramen with us. Instead, I brought along my good friend Drew McGowan aka, Lord Drewcifer, and my girlfriend Rachel Berry, making this a bit of a date as well! Drew came along representing our band with the Infernocide logo emblazoned across his shirt. This was both Rachel and Drew’s first time, and Drew’s first real ramen experience which was exciting.
First Impressions
This was my second time at this restaurant and I recalled that everything about Karai Ramen was fast. The food, the staff, even the atmosphere. They have a heavily takeout oriented appearance, with the takeout menu right by the door and passerby coming in and out rather frequently. Drew felt that despite the small space, the restaurant felt comfortable and open. Everyone got water and we discussed the lack of lemons provided and had some fun talking about how some people would make lemonade at the table with sugar packets. Truly, a low class drink both at the expense of the restaurant and one’s own dignity! Better to get a hand-shaken lemonade.
The Establishment
I liked the artwork presented on the walls, they were made by the owners of the restaurant, who were husband and wife. The restaurant had been in the family for seven years. They also owned the location
The table had a wooden utensils holder which held lots of straws, chopsticks, napkins, and sauces right there for you. However there were spoons. There were no lemons available either. No limes, no citrus. They had framed a newspaper article they had featured in, and a cutting of a magazine they were in. Perhaps they would feature a printout of my article!
The music was a selection of covers in various pop styles, all sung in Japanese. It gave the place a more modern feel, alongside it’s virtual menu.
The restrooms were nice and clean, I appreciated the hand painted mural and the Japanese newsprint wallpaper. I disliked how the restrooms were in the back and hat you had to make your way past the staff in order to reach the restrooms. It makes one feel unwelcome.
The Menu
I strongly disliked the menu presentation. It was entirely online using a qr code to be accessed. The organization however was done well. The pictures clearly showcased what was to be expected in the order, what pictures there were to be found. Some sections were missing pictures for many items. It also wasnt the most intuitive experience, however once you got the hang of it then you could find your way around. I just think that menus should be able to be fully utilized within seconds rather than any time being spent “figuring it out”.
First Course - Drinks and Appetizers
Choya Ume Sparkling Wine –
We ordered this to get the party started and set the mood. Ume was the primary flavor of this wine, what was interesting was that the root of this fruit was featured in the signature dessert here. While the dessert had a purple color, this wine was
Jasmine tea –
Caleb ordered himself this option instead of water. This was only served in single glasses rather than in pots. This was an authentic tea, with a very strong flavor. Good quality taste, but not served with any sweetener. No sugar or honey provided either.
Gyoza Fried chicken Dumplings –
These were full of meat, my companions found this a good thing, I suppose I was hoping for a bit more vegetable but these were still tasty nonetheless. Six came with the order.
These were a good vehicle for the sauces at the table. Caleb enjoyed the initial impression of the variety provided. There was a vinegar based sauce that was most notable, and there was fun to be had in mixing the varied sauces together.
Kakiage –
mashed vegetable pancakes
Served in a thin wooden boat that appeared to be single use. Only three were provided but we split them up. These were a hodgepodge of various vegetables that combined had the texture and flavor of a potato. These were rather basic otherwise. A good one to snack on but not particularly noteworthy. There was nothing wrong with this dish.
Katzu Chicken Tenders –
Crispy and sweet, juicy enough without being wet. These were drizzled with a sweet, bbq like sauce. These paired well with the provided
table sauces and they stood out really well in comparison to the more demure kakiage. I would recommend these first.
Second Course - Entrees
Everyone was ready to order their meals by now, and the dishes came out slower than last time, but they were excellent in presentation. I felt that my expectations were challenged this time around, as the food was quite good. However the longer wait time may have also had something to do with how busy the restaurant was. It’s always good to see a local restaurant doing well.
Katsu Shio – Michael
My broth was in good supply, but there was an abundance of ingredients in the soup. The egg was more of a poached consistency rather than the more soft boiled texture other places serve that I often prefer. The broth was smooth, and blended well with the onions. It had almost a milky quality to it. The noodles had a delightful consistency, not quite al dente but not overly soft either and gripped well with the chopsticks.
Sansho Shoyu Ramen – Drew
In his own words, the porkbelly was beautifully excited. Fat fell right into the broth. The broth is mild, and it doesnt assault the senses. This was much better than the microwave ramen he had been used to. The green onions were cut lengthwise creating a good texture. Normally, not a fan of fat, but it was good with the broth. The flavors and the textures were executed perfectly.
Aomori ButterCream Curry Ramen – Rachel
I wanted to order this one, but since Rachel was eyeing it, I let her have this one. In her words, loving the taste of the vegetables. The cilantro provided a pop of flavor. First thing one notices is the spiciness of the curry. It’s not too Hot, but provides just enough of a kick. The katzu chicken was still firm and tasty, standing out as the prime flavor in the soup.
Shoyu Ramen – Caleb
The beef is super tenders and falling apart. A wonderful blend of flavors, yet you could still pick them all out. The noodles weren’t overly cooked, and vegetables still had a good crunch to them piquing the palate in the broth. Caleb finished his dish quickly which was itself a glowing review.
Third Course - Desserts
There were four dessert options. But they also provided the option to order dessert from the location next door, like Kinya Ramen did. The special was a bold purple Ume cheesecake. Of course we had to order some.
Ume Fluffed Cheesecake –
This was firm, and felt like it was more of an actual cake rather than a cheesecake. The it hit me, they serve a cake, alongside a sweet cheese. Cheesecake! And they go really well together. The cake was smooth and like velvet. The purple color was really prominent. The sweet cream cheese was thin enough to coat the cake, but thick enough to be a big part of the experience. The Root flavor came out, especially in comparison to the vanilla cake. This one was also more dense than the vanilla cheesecake.
Vanilla Cheesecake –
The white cheesecake was very airy and fluffy like a sponge cake. Moist and creamy, blended well with the cream to make a rich, cheese sugar of a cheesecake. But also had a good vanilla flavor. They used real vanilla bean in this restaurant. Homemade vanilla bean whipped cream. It was sweet with a cheesy quality, in a good way.
Final Thoughts
This experience at Karai Ramen was an interesting change of pace, having two new friends along, both of whom were very special to me. It was lovely to have Rachel along for an official Food Conversation, as we had done ramen dates before I even began this blog. Drew got to experience his first taste of real ramen and I’m glad to say that it was a fulfilling experience for him. The two of them made great guests, and who knows, perhaps we’ll have them on again to be guest stars in the Food Conversation! I missed Mohan though, and we were a bit concerned. Thankfully, he let us know sometime during dinner that everything was okay and he just wasn’t able to make it out tonight.
